I've heard of Ojai, CA from friends for years but never visited it until this last Thanksgiving week. Our daughter and her family were going camping in the Los Padres National Forest near Ojai so my wife and I decided to join them but we stayed in an AirBnB just five minutes from the town center surrounded by orange and olive groves.
From San Diego, it can be a long drive to Ojai because of LA traffic. But it was worth the drive because this small community is in such a scenic area and has tons of fun things to do, good shopping and some great restaurants. Click on the links in this post to learn more about our favorites.
My wife and I love to get out in nature when we travel and Ojai with its proximity to the national forest has lots of trails and hikes to explore. After an active day, we found several great restaurants in the center of town and on one night we cooked at our cottage and relaxed.
Here are our favorites from our Ojai getaway.
1. Rose Valley Falls. Our favorite short hike was to Rose Valley Falls in the Los Padres National Forest about a 30 minute drive from Ojai. This hike from the Rose Valley Campground takes you along a stream to a beautiful small waterfall (not much water in November) with moss and ferns growing on the rocks. It's an easy hike, very scenic and worth the drive from Ojai.
2. Wheeler Gorge Nature Trail. We also enjoyed the Wheeler Gorge area just off the road on the way back to Ojai from Rose Valley, The
Wheeler Gorge Nature Trail is a nice short walk along a stream in a wooded area. You can do both of these hikes in a day trip from Ojai,
Me and my grandson Keanu on the hike!
3. Shelf Road Trail. Another must-do hike in Ojai is the
Shelf Road Trail on the foothill slopes overlooking the Ojai Valley. This is another easy walk that you should do in the late part of the afternoon so you can watch the sunset from a viewpoint on the trail. The Ojai Valley runs east - west so the sunsets are aligned to light up the hills in a beautiful pink hue. We started at Gridley Rd. and walked west and stopped at the Instagram favorite bench just in time to catch the sunset and the beautiful pink lighting on the hills over the valley.
4. Osteria Monte Grappa. We ate at this restaurant on Saturday night arriving when it opened at 5 pm and there was already a line for tables.
Osteria Month Grappa was wonderful, I enjoyed the best Cioppino I have ever tasted and my wife loved her Mushroom Risotto. Go early like us because by the time we left at 6:30 pm there was still a long line to get in.
5.
Love Social Cafe. For a great breakfast, we found the
Love Social Cafe in the heart of Ojai. Love is a cool little bakery with an outdoor patio that serves a variety of breakfast items. I had a Chorizo Egg Scramble that was tasty and fueled me up for a busy day exploring the area.
6. Ojai Valley Olive Oil Company. Before you start the drive home from Ojai, save time for a quick stop at the
Ojai Valley Olive Oil Company. This third generation family farm grows several olive varieties and presses a wide range of olive oil selections for purchase. They also import infused Balsamic Vinegars to pair with their olive oils. I left with a bottle of their Pixie variety oil and a bottle of raspberry infused balsamic vinegar. I tried them over a slice of tomato and mozzarella cheese... YUMMY!
7. For Next Time. After we discovered the
Ojai Ventura Bike Path we were so sorry we did not bring our electric bikes. This paves pathway goes through the middle of Ojai, through the Orange groves and all the way to Ventura,
This is a cycling and walking path that parallels the 33 freeway and Ventura River. Some sections have a fenced horse riding trail beside the bike/walking path. The route travels from Ventura to Ojai - approximately 15 miles in total length. Next time we bring the bikes and will enjoy this ride.
As you can see, we loved our 3 day getaway to Ojai and plan to return next year. There is much more to do in this picturesque fun area.
Comments